Something Unexpected
by AshleyMocha12
Summary: When Katniss moves on campus and meets her new roommate Madge, she catches the attention of a blonde haired classmate by the name of Peeta. As they get to know each other better, will his feelings for her be returned? AU story.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Heyyyy. ;3 so, my very first Hunger Games one-shot was a success! Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed "The Dream Catcher" :) Well now, I want to start a brand new story! It's an AU (Alternate Universe) fic, so the characters are going to be just a tad OOC. Anyway, I hope you guys like it! It also takes place in present day. :)**

Katniss placed her last suitcase in the back of her mothers truck and sighed of relief. After days of packing everything she owned, making reservations for her new room in the dormitory, and signing up for classes, she was ready to finally see what college life would be like. Primrose ran out to the car and frowned up at Katniss.

"What's wrong, little duck?" Katniss asked, crouching down to come eye level with her little sister.

"You're leaving. Now who will I talk to?" Prim responded, looking into Katniss' eyes. Katniss chuckled lightly and ran her fingers through Prim's long, golden hair.

"Well, you could talk to mom?" Katniss encouraged, receiving an intense glare from Prim. Katniss laughed harder and thought about their neighbors. They lived in a tiny apartment complex in downtown Michigan, with a grouchy landlord that would shut off their lights and heat in an instant if they were overdue on rent. Truthfully, Katniss was excited to get away from it all. She was just worried about Prim.

"What about Haggart on the first floor, hmmm? You two have a crush on each other if I'm not mistaken," Katniss said, winking. Prim blushed a bit and turned her face away to hide it. Katniss laughed and pecked her cheek, standing upright.

"Just promise me that you'll let me come visit your dorm," Prim said sadly. Katniss smiled warmly and grabbed Prim's hand.

"I promise. We can have sleepovers and I'll take you all over the campus. It'll be tons of fun," Katniss reassured. Prim smiled for the first time that day, giving Katniss a sense of stability. Katniss' mother walked out of the apartment building and smiled sadly at her daughter.

"You look absolutely beautiful," her mother, Annabelle, said hoarsely, staring at her attire. Katniss narrowed her eyes confusedly and stared down at her clothes. She was wearing a burgundy, long-sleeved shirt, some light, khaki skinny jeans, and some burgundy sandals. Her hair was in her usual braid, and the only make-up that she wore was a bit of eyeliner. Katniss cleared her throat and smiled.

"Uh, thanks, mom. So do..,you?" Katniss responded. Annabelle wiped a raging tear and Katniss scoffed.

"I'm going to miss you so much, honey!" she cried, pulling her daughter in for a hug. Katniss rested her hands on her mothers back and rolled her eyes.

"Mom, I'm _just_ going to college. I'll be fine! I'll call you every night, plus we have skype," Katniss reassured as her mom pulled away.

"I'm just not going to be used to being the only adult in the house," her mother admitted, looking Katniss in her eyes. After her father had passed, a special bond between Katniss and her mother formed. It saddened her that she'd have to separate from her. That's part of the reason why Katniss was starting college two months late. Katniss forced a smile and rubbed her mothers arm.

"You're going to be fine, mom. You'll have Prim. Even though she's only 12, she has the mindset of a 20 year old," Katniss joked, causing all three of them to laugh.

"Let's get in the car," Annabelle said, walking over to get in on the drivers side. Katniss got in the passengers seat and Prim hopped in the back.

After 20 minutes of driving, Annabelle asked a question that had been itching at her for a while.

"This is a co-ed dorm, correct?" she asked, looking over at Katniss briefly. Katniss stiffened up and remained looking out the window. Prim rested her elbows on both seats and narrowed her eyes.

"What does _co-ed_ mean?" she asked curiously.

"It means that _boys and girls_ share the same dormitory," Annabelle said slowly, peering over at Katniss. Katniss finally turned to her mother and shrugged.

"Yeah..." Katniss responded awkwardly.

"You already know my rules. No boys spending the night in your dorm room. No showers with your boy-mates, and _no _sex. We don't need any baby Everdeens running around," Annabelle declared. Katniss' mouth gaped open in shock.

Katniss had no intentions on having sex, let alone having a boyfriend. Over the years, her breasts and hips had grown to a fair size, but she never felt as if she was truly attractive to any of the guys that she attended school with. Sure, guys tried to hit on her, but she honestly could never see herself with any of them. Plus, she was _never _big on relationships in the first place, so her mother had nothing to worry about in that factor.

"Mom, you don't have to be concerned about that. I can handle myself," Katniss promised. Her mother wasn't hearing it. She began to go on and on about the dangers of co-ed dorms, sexually transmitted diseases, and how the chances of a condom breaking during sex was more common than not.

Katniss drowned her out, slumping down in her seat the entire way to the University.

…

The truck pulled up to the University of Michigan, a huge smile on Katniss' face. The University was _huge, _and Katniss couldn't wait to explore. She hopped out of the car before it could properly park, and rushed to the trunk.

She popped it open and grabbed two of her heavy suitcases. Prim and Annabelle walked over to the trunk and Annabelle grabbed the last suitcase as Prim grabbed the box, and Katniss' carry on case.

"We have to sign into the office," Katniss said hurriedly, rolling her bags on the concrete.

"Katniss, wait up!" Annabelle shouted as her and Prim ran to keep up. Katniss ignored her as she flew into the building, pausing to look for the office. She found a door labeled "front office/sign in" and waited impatiently for her mom and sister to enter the building.

As soon as they made it in there, Katniss beckoned for them to follow her. Katniss entered the room and headed straight for the receptionist desk, smiling down at the woman. Her name was Alma Coin.

"Hi, I'm here to get a pass to my dorm," Katniss said breathlessly.

"Name, please?" Coin asked.

"Katniss Everdeen," Katniss answered. The woman typed around on the computer before pulling out a notepad and scribbling stuff down.

She handed it to Katniss and smiled brightly. "Your dorm room is number 253 on the second floor. It's in the Co-ed building located in the commons area."

"Does that mean more walking?" Prim whined. Katniss thanked the woman and began on her way toward the co-ed building. When she got near the doors, Katniss turned to face her mother.

"Mom, please don't embarrass me in front of my roommate," she said playfully, but she truly meant it. Annabelle had a habit of word vomit when she was around Katniss' friends- the few that she did have.

"When do I _ever _embarrass you, sweetheart?" she asked, pushing past her and into the building. Katniss bit her lip and followed after her, taking the elevator up to the second floor.

Katniss walked out of the elevator and instantly saw her room number. Her heart skipped a beat. They walked up to the door and Katniss grew more and more nervous.

"Well, are you gonna open it?" her mother asked as they stood at the door for more than a minute. Katniss pondered the thought.

"She could be getting dressed or something. I'll just knock," Katniss said, knocking nervously on the door. Seconds later, a girl with short, brown, wavy hair opened the door. She was absolutely gorgeous.

She had tanned skin, hazel eyes, and wore a short, jean skirt with a red tank top that showed a bit of her cleavage. Katniss couldn't help but to feel a little self conscious.

"Hi! You must be Katniss! I'm Madge," the girl said, opening her arms for a hug. Katniss nodded and hugged her roommate, pulling away quickly. Madge led the three girls into the medium sized dorm room. There were two beds on each side of the room.

The side that Katniss would accompany was naked, but Madge's side was vibrant with posters of One Direction, a cheetah print bedspread, make-up and cosmetics covering the dresser, and more. Katniss, Prim and Annabelle sat Katniss' bags down on her side and Katniss turned to Madge.

"How did you know my name?" Katniss asked, making sure to keep a smile on her face.

"They sent your schedule in this morning," Madge responded, walking over to her dresser to retrieve a piece of paper.

She handed it to Katniss, and Katniss sighed of relief. She got all of the classes that she wanted, in the perfect order. She was studying to be a teacher in archery and hunting skills, but she also signed up for art as an elective.

"This is great," Katniss said happily, looking up from her schedule. She looked at her mom, and realized that she had forgotten to do something. "Oh! Madge, this is my mother, and my little sister, Prim."

"Hi," Madge said, smiling widely. "It's very nice to meet the both of you."

"It's nice to meet you too, dear. I'm glad my daughter is rooming with someone like you, and not some sex crazed party goer," Annabelle said, causing Katniss to face palm internally. Madge laughed awkwardly and continued to smile, since that _actually _described her perfectly.

"Mom, I got it from here," Katniss said quickly.

"Aww, I'm gonna miss you, baby," Annabelle said, pulling her daughter into another warm hug. Katniss patted her back and smiled, pulling away after a minute. Katniss bent down to Prim and pecked her soft cheek.

"Don't forget to call me as soon as you get home," Katniss said, smiling widely. Prim frowned sadly and hugged Katniss tightly. After a while, she finally pulled away.

Katniss shared her last goodbyes with Prim and her mother, and they exited swiftly. As soon as they were out of sight, Madge walked over to the mini refrigerator and grabbed a beer bottle.

"Want one?" she called, digging in there for another. Katniss narrowed her eyes and plopped down on her naked bed.

"Are you even allowed to have that on campus?" Katniss asked. Madge giggled and brought the bottles over to her bed, popping the cap off of one.

"You _really_ must not know anything about college life," Madge explained, taking a quick sip from the bottle. "Anyway, I was wondering when they were going to get me a roommate. Although, my boyfriend Gale was plenty of company."

"You have a boyfriend?" Katniss asked surprisingly. Madge nodded slowly, taking another sip.

"Yeah? Who doesn't," she said, laughing internally. Katniss tugged at her bottom lip and looked away. Madge raised her eyebrows. "You don't?"

Katniss looked back over at Madge and gulped.

"Bad break-up," she lied, trying her hardest to show a sad expression.

"Awwww," Madge sympathized, walking over to sit next to Katniss. "I see what you're doing. Now that you're single, you're living in a co-ed dorm hoping to mack on a few hotties to get over your ex."

Madge had a huge smile on her face, and Katniss could tell that they were two completely different people.

"Yup...that's exactly what I'm doing," Katniss said slowly, still smiling awkwardly. Madge laughed and took another sip.

"Nice, girl. Don't worry, you're gorgeous as hell. There will be _plenty_ of guys itching to get into your pants," Madge noted. Katniss widened her eyes, but hid her shock. Katniss was, without a doubt, the biggest virgin currently on the planet. There couldn't be too much more of a virgin than Katniss was.

"Are you sure you don't want this?" Madge asked, pushing the other beer toward Katniss. Katniss shook her head lightly and cleared her throat. Seconds later, rhythmic knocking sounded from the door. Madge set the bottles down on the nightstand and opened the door, a huge grin on her face.

There at the door, stood a tall, broad shouldered guy with olive skin and brown hair. He had gray eyes, just like Katniss did. He was very attractive, to say the least. Madge pulled him into the room and the two tangled their arms around each other.

Following after him came another boy with a stocky build, medium height and ash blonde hair. As he looked Katniss' way, she noticed the beautiful glint of blue in his eyes. Katniss licked her lips and looked away instantly.

"This is my boyfriend Gale," Madge said breathlessly, clinging onto him. "And that's his roommate, Peeta."  
Peeta smiled and waved at Katniss, taking in her appearance. She had olive skin, much like Gale's, plump, pink lips, beautiful gray eyes, and soft, brunette hair that was done perfectly in a tidy braid.

"This is my sexy new roommate, Katniss! Hey Peeta, she's single," Madge introduced, winking at the blonde. Peeta and Katniss felt themselves blush as Katniss stood to her feet.

"Hi, you guys," Katniss greeted, looking from Gale to Peeta. She felt ridiculously awkward being around such attractive guys in a place of living. She could honestly get used to that.

"Hey, Catnip!" Gale joked, laughing at his supposed joke. Madge hit his bicep and glared up at him. Katniss felt a little uneasy at the joke, but didn't let it show. Peeta walked closer to Katniss so that they were just a small distance away from each other.

"Don't mind him, he's a jerk," Peeta said, laughing afterward. "Plus, you have a beautiful name."

Katniss smiled up at Peeta and looked over at Madge, who was silently scolding Gale. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me for the truth," Peeta responded, flashing his pearly white teeth. If Katniss didn't know any better, she'd say he was hitting on her. Before Katniss could respond, Gale interrupted them.

"Hey Katniss, do you like parties?" Gale asked, gripping Madge's tiny waist and causing her to shriek playfully. Katniss pondered the thought and nodded.

"Yeah, sure," she said, folding her arms across her chest. Peeta smirked at her, and she couldn't figure out why.

"Good! There's a big party tonight on the third floor. Both of you ladies need to be there," Gale told them, releasing Madge from his hold. "Me and Peeta are gonna go help decorate and then get ready."

"We'll be there, baby," Madge giggled, grabbing Gale's face and smashing her lips against his. Katniss scoffed internally, watching her roommate make-out with her dickwad of a boyfriend. Peeta seemed to be as equally disturbed, which seemed to make it a little better. After the two had finally pulled away from each other, Gale headed for the door.

"I'll see you tonight," Peeta told Katniss, the same smile lingering on his lips. She didn't know what it was, his eyes, his voice, whatever it was... but she couldn't resist smiling back with the same amount of elation.

The boys exited the room, leaving the two girls to converse. Katniss looked over at Madge and noticed a smirk on her face.

"What's up with you guys and smiling?" Katniss asked, unzipping one of her suitcases. Madge laughed and walked over to help Katniss.

"I sensed flirting," Madge declared, nudging Katniss' shoulder. Katniss rolled her eyes.

"You sensed nothing," Katniss confirmed, pulling her plaid bedspread out of her carry on case.

"Do you think he's cute?" Madge asked quickly. Katniss paused for a moment and looked over at Madge. Of course she thought he was cute. Anyone who thought otherwise had to be crazy.

"Yeah..." Katniss said slowly. Madge grinned and winked at Katniss.

"Just give it a while. You two will be _boning _in no time," Madge exclaimed, walking over to her dresser. Katniss choked on air, processing what Madge has just said. Madge grabbed a curling iron and some mascara and turned to Katniss.

"Now, for some hair and make-up!" she smirked. "Let's get cute for your new _boyfriend_."

**Author's Note: Okay, I know this was short, but it was just the first chapter. ;) I promise the next chapters will be much longer, and this story will get prettyyyy interesting. ;) Review, pleaseeeee? I'd like to know what people think so far. Thank you! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Here's chapter 2! Btw, I did change Madge's image and personality a bit to fit the story, just letting everyone know! Anyway, continue to review and let me know what you guys think so far. :) **

Madge had just finished putting Katniss' hair into perfect waves as Katniss did the finishing touch on her make-up. Katniss was never the type to cake her face with cosmetics, so some light blush, a little mascara and eyeliner, and some lip gloss was enough for her.

Katniss looked in the vanity mirror that she was sitting at and smiled a bit. She actually felt pretty, and she had Madge to thank for the hair.

"Now for our outfits," Madge said, walking over to the walk-in closet and switching on the light. Katniss stood up and walked over to her suitcase and started digging around. It was cold out, so Katniss grabbed a purple turtleneck and some blue jeans.

Seconds later, Madge walked out of the closet with some pieces of clothing in her hands. She frowned when she saw what Katniss had picked out.

"You are _not _wearing that," Madge declared, turning up her nose. Katniss looked down at the clothes in Madge's hand and shook her head.

"Shorts? It's November!" Katniss responded. Madge rolled her eyes and laughed.

"It's not even snowing yet. Plus, the party is in the building. This isn't nun school; let me find you something to wear," Madge explained, walking back into her closet. Katniss narrowed her eyes and followed after her.

When she stopped in the closet, she stopped to examine Madge's wardrobe. She had clothes that she _wished _she could wear, if she wasn't so bound on hiding behind her insecurities. Madge dug around in her bins until she found what she was looking for.

"Let's match tonight," Madge said, handing Katniss some clothes. They were shorts, and a black, long-sleeved shirt that would definitely expose some cleavage and a small portion of her belly. "I'm going to wear the white long-sleeve, and you can rock the black one."

"People will laugh at me in this," Katniss said, wrinkling her nose. Madge shook her head quickly.

"You mean drool over you? Girl, you got it. Flaunt it! By the way, I've always wanted a friend that I could share clothes with!" Madge exclaimed. She looked over at Katniss' suitcase and cleared her throat. "Although, I won't be wearing very much of yours."

Katniss shrugged and looked down at the clothes in her hands. Madge walked out of the closet and headed for the bathroom.

"Hurry up and get dressed! I still have to do my hair and make-up, and I might need your help so I can get done quicker!" Madge called from the bathroom.

"Okay, but what shoes can I wear with this?" Katniss asked.

"Just wear some black socks! I'm going to wear some white ones; no one really ever wears shoes to these parties," Madge told her. Katniss thought that was pretty stupid, but she didn't argue any further.

Katniss walked in front of the mirror and quickly stripped of her clothing, replacing them with the clothes that Madge let her borrow. She had to admit, the shorts hugged at her hips perfectly which made the slight exposure of her flat stomach even prettier. The shirt fit tight against her body, complimenting her curves. When Katniss turned to the side, she noticed that her chest poked out farther than usual.

To say the least, she felt sexy. Madge walked out of the bathroom in her outfit, looking as attractive as Katniss did. Of course, Madge was a bit more provocative than Katniss was, so the top of her bra was visible at the v-line.

"You look hawt, Kat!" Madge exclaimed, walking over to the curling iron.

"So do you," Katniss responded, still examining herself in the mirror. Madge sat down to do her hair and make-up, and Katniss began to hear music.

"Do you hear that?" Katniss asked. Madge nodded and began redoing the waves in her hair.

"I guess the party has started," she responded nonchalantly. "We can be _fashionably_ late. Plus, it won't take me long to do if you help me."

While Madge finished touching herself up, Katniss unpacked her clothes and put her sheets on the bed. She then walked over and helped Madge with her make-up.

After Madge was done getting ready, they put on their socks and exited the room. They headed up the elevator and when the doors slid open, all they saw were teens going wild. They were dancing all over each other, making out, drinking uncontrollably and running around like maniacs.

For some odd reason, this made Katniss smile. It showed her that there was a whole new way to living, and that maybe it was okay to start enjoying it.

They walked out of the elevator and searched around until they spotted Gale and Peeta over by the stereo. Madge ran in their direction as Katniss slowly followed behind her. Katniss could feel eyes on her, and she could have sworn that she saw someone reach out to grab her butt.

Madge ran into Gale's arms and squealed excitedly. Katniss locked eyes with Peeta, and she felt her breathing hitch. He had on a blue polo shirt with some dark, jean shorts that went a little past his knees, and a silver chained necklace around his neck.

His eyes wandered down her body, resting back on her gorgeous face. She was so beautiful to him, and there was no denying that he was blushing at that instant. Katniss stopped in front of the three and pierced her lips out, waiting for Madge to finish lollygagging with her boyfriend.

"You look nice," Peeta told her, causing her to avert her attention to him. Katniss smiled and looked him over once again.

"As do you," she complimented, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Hopeless flirting, there was no crime to it. The loud music boomed behind them, and it was already giving Katniss a headache.

"Wanna go get some punch?" Peeta offered. Katniss swallowed and nodded quickly, following after Peeta as she stopped at the punch bowl. Peeta grabbed two cups reached for the spoon, filling up both of their cups. He held one out to Katniss and she stared down at it.

"Is it spiked?" she wondered, remembering the beer from earlier.

"Most likely," Peeta answered honestly. Katniss laughed and took the cup from Peeta, taking a small sip. Her tongue burned from the strong taste for a second, but the cherry punch quickly invaded her taste buds. It made the drink almost appetizing.

"Is it any good?" Peeta asked, staring at Katniss as she took another sip. Katniss nodded and swirled the cup around in her hand.

"It's actually pretty tasty," Katniss admitted. Peeta smirked before bringing the cup to his lips and downing the whole thing in seconds. Katniss widened her eyes slightly as she took another small sip.

"You were right. It was tasty," Peeta responded, laughing afterward. Katniss rolled her eyes playfully and licked her lips.

"Are you a big drinker?" Katniss asked, taking another sip of her punch. Peeta shook his head as he filled up his cup once more.

"Nah. I'm more of an eater. I like to eat everything in sight," Peeta joked. Katniss laughed and finished off her drink.

"You're not a bigger eater than _I _am," Katniss said, instantly regretting her words. She didn't want Peeta to see her as fat, now that she brought it to his attention. Or maybe she was just overreacting, because Peeta chuckled right after. She hated her stupid insecurities.

"You wanna bet? I can eat three burritos in under five minutes!" Peeta exclaimed, taking a heavy sip from his cup.

"What does your toilet think about that?" Katniss laughed. Peeta snickered loudly and threw his empty cup away.

"He's not too pleasant about it," Peeta joked. Katiss nudged his shoulder playfully as she laughed to herself. This kid was funny; another thing that made him attractive.

"So, tell me about yourself," Peeta said, guiding Katniss over to the single couch that was located off in the corner. They took a seat on the lumpy couch and exchanged glances before Katniss spoke up.

"I have a little sister. We live back in Ypsilanti with my mother. I went to Lincoln High, and it was pretty dull there. Um... just like this story," Katniss said, laughing shortly after.

"What are some of your hobbies?" Peeta asked.

"I enjoy hunting. That's my favorite thing to do," Katniss responded. Peeta smiled.

"Oh, so you're more of an outdoor person?" Peet asked. Katniss nodded.

"Yeah. It's like... my second home. Even if I'm not in the woods to hunt, just taking in the fresh air and the scent of the wild is music to my ears," Katniss admitted, absentmindedly rambling on and on about her love for the great outdoors. Peeta stared at her with serene eyes, as if what she was saying was the most important thing to him at that moment. Another thing Katniss loved; a great listener.

"Wow. That sounds amazing," Peeta responded, a wide grin on his face.

"Have you ever hunted before?" Katniss asked, drowning out the noise around her and focusing on Peeta. He shook his head.

"Nahhh. My feet are too loud when I walk. I'd probably scare away all of the prey," Peeta laughed. Katniss giggled, which surprised her, because that was probably the first time that she had ever done that.

"I guess I'll have to take you on a hike and show you how to carry your feet quieter," Katniss joked.

"Sounds like a plan!" Peeta exclaimed, leaning back in his seat. Their bodies were dangerously close and Katniss could feel her heart rate accelerating. Peeta felt the same way, his nervousness starting to itch at him. He wasn't usually so nervous around girls, but this girl... it was different. There was just something about her; something that really attracted him to her, more than just her looks.

_All you by the Cataracts _began playing, and Peeta noticed Madge and Gale walking out on the dance floor. He looked over at Katniss and noticed that she was drifted off in space. He worked up the courage to ask her to dance.

"Hey, Katniss. Would you uh... like to dance?" Peeta asked, trying to hide the awkwardness in his tone. Katniss looked over at Peeta, making sure that she heard him correctly.

Katniss wasn't big on dancing, but after she what she saw most of her classmates doing, she figured that it was more so _grinding _and less dancing. Too bad she didn't know how to do either.

"Uh..." Katniss said, tugging at her bottom lip. Peeta noticed that she was hesitant.

"It's okay if you don't want to," Peeta said, an ounce of sadness in his voice. Katniss panicked.

"No no, it's not that! It's just... I'm not exactly the best _dancer_," she confessed, turning away to hide her embarrassment. Peeta chuckled and stood to his feet. Katniss looked up at him confusedly.

"Don't worry. I can't dance either," Peeta said, a warm smirk on his face. He held his hand out, and Katniss couldn't help but to grab hold of it.

His hand was warm and strong, and it fit into hers perfectly. As he led her over to the dancefloor, Katniss noticed Gale and Madge grinding. An idea formulated in her head. She turned to face Peeta and swallowed before turning around. She backed into him and looked over at Madge, watching how her body moved against Gale.

Katniss mimicked the same movements with her own body as Peeta rested his hands on her waist. His fingers grazed her bare skin, and it sent a chill down her spine. It was a different feeling, but she liked it.

Peeta loved the fact that he was so close to Katniss. He pressed his lips against her neck, wanting so desperately to kiss it. He pulled her body impossibly close to him.

Katniss' eyes drifted back over to Madge, and she noticed that Madge was looking at her cunningly. She winked before turning around to engulf Gale in a steamy kiss. Katniss and Peeta continued to dance, letting the music guide their hips.

In any other situation like this, Katniss would have died of awkwardness. For some reason, she found herself wanting this song to last forever, to feel his hands planted firmly at her waist, and his warm lips pressed up against her skin. It was intoxicating.

She was slightly disappointed when The Cupid Shuffle came on right after it. As they separated from each other to do the dance along with everyone else, Peeta looked over at Katniss.

"Well that was fun," he said, smirking. Katniss felt her face burning, and couldn't help but to laugh at herself.

"Yeah, I guess it was," she said, laughing once more. Katniss and Peeta finished up the dance and Katniss scurried off to get some punch.

She grabbed the spoon and poured the juice into her cup. Seconds later, she felt someone tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Madge.

"I sawwww that," Madge grinned, reaching for a cup. "By the way, your butt looks amazing in those shorts. I might let you keep them."

"We were _just _dancing," Katniss said, ignoring her last comment. Madge rolled her eyes and filled up her cup.

"I don't know if you're in denial or just blind, but you two would be _hot _together," Madge said, taking a large sip. Katniss took a baby sip and looked around until she laid eyes on Peeta. He was conversing with a girl with ginger hair with a huge smile on his face.

"Oh, really? Well look over there," Katniss said, nodding her head in the direction of Peeta. Madge looked over there and sucked her teeth. "Now _they _would make a hot couple. Telling by the way he's cheesing it up, they probably like each other. Plus, me and him are just friends- barely that. There's nothing there."

"Whatever you say," Madge said, walking off swiftly. Katniss continued to stare after Peeta, and she couldn't help but to feel a bit jealous.

…

Madge threw a pillow at Katniss, instantly awakening her. Katniss shot up in her bed and looked over at Madge with red, tired eyes.

"What was that for?" Katniss whined, her exhaustion extremely visible. The sun wasn't even out yet.

"You're late for class," Madge remarked, her voice horse and sleep-filled. Katniss groggily pulled the covers over her head.

"Nice joke. My classes don't start until _four in the afternoon,_"

Katniss said annoyingly.

"Um, they actually start at _four in the morning. _It's almost 4:30," Madge corrected. Katniss shot up once again and reached over to switch on the light. She grabbed her schedule from the bedside nightstand and looked at her first class. It read exactly four am.

"Fuck! This has to be some kind of mistake. I specifically set me classes for the afternoon!" Katniss exclaimed, scurrying out of bed. Madge moaned tiredly and cuddled back up against her pillow.

Katniss ran in the bathroom and looked in the mirror, examining herself. Her hair was in a messy ponytail, her eyes were bloodshot red, and she had a trail of of drool going across her cheek.

There was no time to shower, so she quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth. She didn't bother doing anything to her hair and there was no point in putting on make-up. She rubbed on some deodorant and ran out to find something to wear.

Madge stood by Katniss' bed with a blue shirt and some tight fitting, black jeans in her hands, along with Katniss' black jacket.

"Thank you," Katniss said, hugging her briefly. Madge smiled tiredly.

"Don't mention it," she said, handing the clothes to Katniss. Katniss immediately began stripping of her nightclothes, replacing them with the clothes Madge had picked out for her.

"No, seriously. If it wasn't for you, I would have missed all of my classes today," Katniss remarked, pulling the jeans up her waist. Madge repositioned herself in bed. "Why are you up so early, anyway?"

"I was on the phone with Gale all night," Madge said.

"Until 4 in the morning?" Katniss asked, grabbing her bag from the ground.

"Well, 4:23 to be exact. That's when I noticed that you were late for class. But... you've never stayed on the phone with _your _boyfriend all hours of the night?" Madge asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Oh, right," Katniss said, opening the door. "I'll see you later!"

Katniss scurried out of the room and hurried into the elevator. She looked at her phone and noticed that it 4:45. she groaned and slumped down against the wall. When the elevator doors opened, she flew out and ran out of the double doors of the Co-Ed building. It was freezing out, and the darkness made it even colder.

The main building wasn't very far away, so she pushed her feet forward hurriedly. Her first class was Art, so at least she wouldn't be late for a _major _class. As soon as she entered the building, she reached for her schedule. The Art class was thankfully on the first floor. She began running past the doors, anxiously trying to locate her classroom.

When she stumbled upon it, she pushed herself inside, all eyes landing on her. The teacher clapped his hands tauntingly as Katniss gasped for air, hunched over on her knees. She was quite embarrassed.

"Nice to have our new student finally accompany us," the man croaked, his voice deep and raspy. Katniss stood upright and looked over the faces of her classmates. She felt her heart skip a beat when she connected eyes with none of than Peeta, seated in the front row. The teacher brought her back to reality.

"Let's play the high school game. What's your excuse for being late?" the man asked, holding his clay-made apple in his hands. Katniss could go on and on about how the times got mixed up, but she decided to keep it honest and simple.

"I overslept," she said quietly. The class snickered a bit, and Katniss could feel herself hot with embarrassment. Why was he putting her on the spot?

"Lucky for you, I'm a cool teacher, so I'm just going to give you a warning. By the way, my name is Mr. Abernathy, but you can call me Haymitch," he explained. Katniss wanted to correct him about his _supposed _coolness, but she simply gave him a thank you. Haymitch pointed to the empty seat next to Peeta, beckoning her to sit down. What a coincidence; she'd be sitting next to the guy she was grinding last night. She slowly began making her way over to the seat.

"Come on, sweetheart. You've already wasted enough time this morning," Haymitch beckoned, angering Katniss. She began to conclude that it was his sole duty to embarrass her to no end. Katniss sat in the seat next to Peeta and avoided his eyes. She felt that she was embarrassed enoguh.

As Haymitch began talking about Claymations and oil pastels, Peeta inched his lips to Katniss' ear.

"I know it seems like he's a tough guy, but he's actually really fun. Just give him some time to warm up to you. It won't be hard," Peeta said, whispering the last part. It made Katniss smile to herself a bit. She turned to face him and looked down at the sketch on his desk. Her eyes widened in amazement.

"Did you draw this?" Katniss asked, examining the beautiful bird that was on his paper. He nodded as a smile tugged at his lips.

"Yeah. It's a Mockingjay," Peeta said back.

"That just may be my new favorite bird," Katniss admitted, looking at the details that was put into the drawing. "It's so beautiful."

"Almost as beautiful as you," Peeta said quickly, his eyes wandering to Katniss' face. He noticed that she was void of make-up, which made her all the more beautiful to him. She stared over at Peeta and her lips parted a bit at his compliment. She smiled warmly and returned her gaze back on the picture. She noticed that the class was a bit too quiet, so she looked up to see Haymitch staring at them.

"If you two are done..." Haymitch said, folding his arms in annoyance.

"We're sorry, sir," Peeta apologized, closing his sketchbook. Katniss smiled apologetically, and Haymitch responded with a growl. Looks like it would take longer than she thought for him to warm up to her.

**Author's Note: Alright, next chapter will have something a little interesting in it between Katniss and Peeta. ;P I loveeee reviews, so please make sure to leave me one? ^_^ thanks! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Sorry if this was a bit of a long wait! I didn't realize it had been a week. xP Anyway, here's the chapter where things start to get 'interesting' so I hope you enjoy. ;)**

**Don't forget to review! **

Katniss scurried out of the classroom as soon as the bell rang. The sooner she was out of that room, the more relieved she would feel. She thanked God that she wasn't subjected to the outdoors, because it was entirely too cold for her liking. Peeta caught up to her as she strolled down the hallway, studying her schedule. He turned up by her side, scaring her briefly.

"Did I scare you? Sorry!" Peeta said enthusiastically. Katniss laughed lightly and shook her head.

"No, it's fine. I was just looking for my next class," she said, returning her attention on the list. She hoped that it wouldn't be too hard to find the classroom on that humungous campus.

"Can I?" Peeta asked, reaching for the paper. She handed it to him and he scanned the room number.

"Archery? Nice!" Peeta said, handing her back her schedule. "It's on the third floor."

"Oh, well alright. Thanks," Katniss said, heading toward the elevator.

"Katniss!" Peeta called after her. Katniss turned around swiftly.

"Yes?" she asked, watching how softly his blue eyes watched her.

"What are your plans for lunch?" he asked timidly. Katniss hadn't really thought about lunch. She was hoping that this was some kind of invitation, so she smiled and clutched her bag by her side.

"I didn't make any yet," she said, the same smile lingering on her face. Peeta stuffed his hands into his jean pockets and shrugged.

"Meet me by the art room at 9?" he asked, slight hope in his tone. After a minute, Katniss nodded.

"I'll see you then," she said, turning toward the elevator. Peeta stared after her and smiled a bit, looking forward to lunch time.

…

Katniss had just gotten out of her science class hours later, her stomach making all kinds of noises. She pulled her schedule out of her bag and smiled subconsciously when she noticed that it was time for lunch. As she stood in the doorway putting her schedule away, a shorter girl with black hair and razor sharp eyes skidded past her.

"Oops, sorry. Maybe you shouldn't be standing in the way next time," the girl said, a nasty smirk on her face. Katniss scoffed and walked away from the potential danger. It was her first day of college; she didn't need any new enemies. Another girl with blonde hair and gray eyes ran to catch up with the black-haired girl, and called her Clove. _Clove. _Katniss would remember that name.

Katniss hopped in the elevator, which was accompanied by a lady with a mountainous wig the color of the sunset, Orange eyelashes and enough powder on her face to fill a bucket. The woman smiled brightly at Katniss.

"Are you new here, dear? I don't recall seeing you around the halls!" the woman exclaimed, her voice high pitched and overjoyed. Katniss nodded weakly and forcefully returned the smile.

"Yes ma'am," Katniss answered, her eyes wandering to the ruby red heels that the woman wore. The woman held her hand out excitedly.

"I'm Ms. Trinket! I'm the culinary teacher, but I also have a weekend cosmetics group for budding stylists!" she squealed as Katniss shook her hand. For a woman who taught a styling group, you'd think she'd have more...style. Katniss laughed internally at her joke.

"That's cool! I think my roommate mentioned something about being in that club," Katniss said, remembering the conversation that they were having while Madge was doing her hair.

"Who's your roommate?" Ms. Trinket asked as the elevator began to go down.

"Madge Undersee," Katniss responded. Ms. Trinket's eyes lit up at the comment.

"She's one of my best students! Although, I have to scold her about her wardrobe sometimes," she said, twitching. Katniss chuckled a bit and thought about a majority of Madge's revealing clothes. The elevator doors opened, which slightly relieved Katniss. She wasn't good at conversation.

"I'll see you around!" Ms. Trinket chirped, stepping out of the elevator. Katniss gave her an agitated grin as she followed out.

They slowly came to the realization that they were heading in the same exact direction. Katniss tried to hide the awkwardness. They stopped in front of the Art room, and just as Peeta said, he was waiting right there for her. He grinned when he caught sight of her.

"Good morning, Ms. Trinket," Peeta greeted.

"Good morning, Peeta!" Effie said wholeheartedly. She opened the door to the Art room and escaped inside. Peeta looked after her and shook his head. He knew all too well why Ms. Trinket always found her way over to the Art room. He turned back to Katniss and noticed the vacant look in her eyes.

"You okay?" he asked. Katniss cleared her throat and rubbed her tired eyes. She dreaded how this could have looked from the eyes of Peeta.

"Yeah, just exhausted," she admitted. Peeta smirked and dug in his pockets, fishing around for his wallet.

"Nothing a little coffee couldn't fix. There's a cafe where I work that's a few buildings over. Let's get lunch there," Peeta suggested, licking his lips. Katniss tugged at her bottom lip and sighed.

"I didn't bring any money," she confessed, feeling slightly embarrassed. Peeta chuckled when he finally found his wallet, causing her to narrow her eyes.

"Don't worry about it," he said, holding out his wallet for emphasis. Katniss felt uneasy at the gesture, but she just smiled timidly as a scarlet shade covered her cheeks. Peeta took the lead, guiding them out into the frosty air.

Katniss adjusted her jacket so that it was buttoned up the farthest it could go. The lack of gloves left her hands uncomfortably stiff, causing her to peer down at Peeta's hands. No doubt those hands could provide undeniable warmth for Katniss. She laughed at herself and shook the thoughts away.

They walked in comfortable silence as they passed numerous buildings. It enlightened Katniss at the amount of luxuries that this campus had to offer.

"I wonder when people are going to start putting out their Christmas decorations," Katniss said, breaking the silence.

"The cafe is going to put ours up in about a week. The boss wanted to do it when it started snowing, and it seems like it will snow any day now. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday," Peeta said happily.

"Mine too! Putting up the tree with my dad was always my favorite part," Katniss said, instantly saddening herself.

"My favorite part was always icing the cakes and cookies with mine," Peeta said, looking over at Katniss. He noticed that her mood had decreased. "What are you thinking about?"

Katniss snapped out of her memories and looked up at Peeta, forcing a smile. "Oh... nothing. My mind seems to keep wandering today."

By the time they had reached the front doors of the cafe, Katniss and Peeta's teeth were chattering. Peeta led them inside and noted that there were only a few early morning risers, and a small amount of classmates scattered around the tables.

It was so toasty and inviting, and smelled of apple cinnamon mixed with freshly baked bread. The aroma of warm, hot chocolate tingled Katniss' taste buds. She scanned around the medium sized cafe and saw that there was a cozy area off in the corner with couches and chairs. It was surprisingly clear of people.

"You work here?" Katniss asked softly, after she could formulate a clear thought.  
"Yes ma'am. I work in the back and prepare most of the baked goods," Peeta said, shredding off his coat and hanging it on the coat rack. Katniss kept her jacket on as her body adjusted to the change in climate.

"That's really cool. When's your shift?" Katniss asked casually. Peeta walked them over to a table for two and they sat down comfortably.

"Six to Nine pm," he said, taking hold of the coffee mug shaped menu that sat on the table. Katniss nodded and did the same.

"I know this menu like the back of my hand," Peeta muttered as he scanned the bread section. Katniss smirked and snatched the menu from his hands.

"Oh yeah? Let's put that to the test," she joked. He folded his hands animatedly and nodded.

"Quiz me," he said with determination on his face. She brought her eyes back to the menu and started off with something basic.

"Which meal is the house special?" she asked, her mouth watering at the display picture.

"Easy. Lamb stew with dried plums, served with my famous sesame seeded bread," Peeta responded nonchalantly. Katniss nodded and looked for something a bit harder.

"Name at least five different Espresso beverages that you sell," Katniss said. Peeta chuckled and licked his lips again.

"French Vanilla Cappuccino, Caramel _**Macchiato**_' , Spicy-nutty Indian tea, chocolate foamed Mocha, and the house blend coffee," Peeta remarked, grinning at Katniss confidently.

"Alright, one more!" Katniss said, scanning through the small menu.

"Go in for the kill," Peeta taunted. Katniss glared, but couldn't hold in the laugh that escaped her lips. She gasped when she found something that would surely slip him up.

"What's the _only _bread on this menu that isn't insanely overpriced?" Katniss asked, raising one eyebrow. Peeta's smile dropped.

"Uh... is that even a valid question?" he asked nervously. Katniss nodded quickly.

"Yup. You know it so well; this shouldn't be a problem for you," she said, folding her arms across her chest. Peeta sighed heavily and tried to get a visual aid of the menu. He knew for a fact that most of the breads were around five to six dollars. His smile returned when he finally formulated his answer.

"The new addition to the cafe. Cheese buns," Peeta said, his wide smile spreading farther across his face. Katniss handed him back his menu and poked her lips out.

"I'm impressed. You must be a dedicated worker," she complimented. Peeta shrugged.  
"I guess you could say that. My dad was a baker, and I learned most of the ropes from him. It was only natural for me to gravitate to this job as soon as I got here months ago. I'm majoring in Culinary, so hopefully I'll have my own restaurant in the future," Peeta said, but he didn't sound as enthusiastic as Katniss would assume him to be.

"So that's your dream, right?" Katniss asked, looking into his eyes. A slight ounce of sadness flickered in his before it was replaced by a smile.

"Of course," he said, almost as if it were meant to be obvious. Seconds later, a stubbly man wobbled over to assist the two.

"Peeta!" the man croaked, grinning widely. Katniss looked at the man's name tag and saw that it read _Plutarch Heavensbee._

"Good morning, Plutarch," Peeta responded. Peeta's eyes lingered over to Katniss and he perked up. "Plutarch, this is my friend Katniss. Katniss, this is my boss."

Katniss held her hand out to shake hands, which Plutarch greatly returned. They exchanged quick glances before Plutarch returned his focus on Peeta.

"So Peeta, is it possible if you could come in a little earlier today? Like around three?" he asked. Peeta considered the thought and nodded.

"Sure. Can I ask why?" Peeta wondered.

"There's going to be a big faculty meeting here, and I'll need all of the help that I could get. Be sure to notify Marvel," Plutarch said. 12pm-3:45pm was the break time for all of the teachers. With the transition from morning classes to afternoon classes, they surely deserved the hours of rest. Peeta nodded in agreement.

"Sounds good. Can we order?" Peeta asked, remembering why they were there in the first place. Plutarch nodded and whipped out his order pad. Peeta looked over at Katniss as she concluded her thoughts on the menu. She looked up at Plutarch and cleared her throat, since it was getting pretty dry from holding her breath.

"I'd like the house special. Instead of the sesame seeded bread, could I replace it with a cheese bun?" Katniss asked. Plutarch nodded and scribbled it down. She then ordered a strawberry shake and Plutarch turned to Peeta. He ordered a blueberry muffin, a turkey and cheese sub, and two coffees. Plutarch walked away, leaving them to converse.

"You ordered two coffees?" Katniss asked confusedly.

"Yeah, one for you. Try it. It'll wake you right up," Peeta said passionately, thinking about how delicious their house blend coffee was.

"How can you be so energetic at this time?" Katniss asked, laughing lightly.

"I'm used to it. I've been waking up at 3:30 am since I was 10," Peeta admitted, placing the menus back on the table in a neat stack. Katniss whined and rested her head on her arm.

"I used to go out and hunt early in the morning back at home. It was relaxing, so I could get with it. But this... dragging hours of school before the sun is even up... it's miserable," Katniss complained. Peeta frowned.

"Why aren't you taking afternoon classes?" he asked. Katniss lifted her head up and laughed tiredly.

"I guess my schedule times got mixed up, because I signed up to have afternoon classes, but somehow it got reversed to the morning," Katniss explained. Peeta sighed in understanding.

"Wow, that's... unpleasant. Well, at least you get to hang out with me," Peeta said, trying his hardest to brighten up the mood.

Katniss smiled and nodded, silently agreeing with Peeta. If it wasn't for her screwed up schedule, she wouldn't have had the chance to dine in such an appetizing place, sitting across such an attractive face. A while later, their food was brought to the table. They made small talk and enjoyed their meal, laughing and making jokes.

Peeta told Katniss some funny stories about their roommates, and also how he went to high school with Madge. Katniss shared some stories with him about the people at her hometown and amused Peeta with her vivid memories. She also told him about her encounter with Clove, and his face went blank.

"...something wrong?" Katniss asked suspiciously. Peeta swallowed the piece of blueberry muffin in his mouth and toyed with his sub sandwich.

"Well... Clove is a bit of a bully," Peeta said, trying to find a way to formulate his words. Katniss took a sip of her cooled down coffee and nodded.

"I figured that much," Katniss said lightly. Peeta frowned.

"She's not only a bully to girls, but to guys. Once, she asked me if I wanted to help her with her art project since I'm a pretty good painter. Turns out, she wanted me to do the _whole _thing for her. I told her I wasn't going to do it, and she promised me that I'd regret it. I was walking down the stairs and she tripped me. Let's just say I had to wear an ankle brace for three weeks," Peeta confessed, a little nervous to admit that he was injured by a girl. Katniss raised her eyebrows.

"Wow... I don't want to get on her bad side, then. If it comes down to it though, I _will_ make her life miserable. I know how to use a bow and arrow," Katniss said, winking.

Peeta laughed and finished his food along with Katniss. He paid for their meal and they exited the cafe just as swiftly.

"Thanks for paying. I should get a job on campus," Katniss said as they slowly made their way back to the campus. They had a few minutes to spare.

"I could get you one at the cafe if all else fails," Peeta offered, nudging her shoulder.

"That'd be great," Katniss said, her breath ghosting out in front of her. They exchanged smiles and entered the main building.

"What's your last class?" Peeta asked. Katniss took out her schedule and groaned.

"Personal fitness," Katniss said. She honestly didn't feel like ending her day with a physical class, but it was mandatory for what she was majoring in. "What's yours?"

"Culinary with Ms. Trinket," Peeta responded.

"What fun," Katniss laughed. Peeta smiled and they both stared at each other for a second. They jumped when the bell sounded above them, signaling that lunch was over.

"I'll see you around. Lunch was nice," Katniss said as the halls began to fill up people.

"Yes, it was. Can't wait to do it again," Peeta said. Katniss smirked and tugged at her bottom lip unknowingly. It attracted Peeta in many ways.

"Good luck with the faculty meeting!" Katniss said, and with that, she turned to walk toward her last class.

…

It was around 10:30 pm when Madge strolled in the dorm room. She was just getting let out of class, and she seemed to be in a hurry. Katniss was seated on her bed, roaming through facebook. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and she was lounged in some gray sweats and an oversized, University sweat shirt. Katniss looked up at Madge and frowned.

"I am _jealous _of you. You got plenty of sleep for class, didn't you?" Katniss asked as Madge threw her bag on the floor and headed for the bathroom.

"Of course. Did you go to the front office and fix your schedule?" Madge called from inside of the bathroom. Katniss was silent for a minute. She was planning on going to the office to change her schedule, but then she remembered what Peeta had said about them spending time together. She doubted that she'd be able to see him much if her schedule changed, so she figured that she'd suck it up and just go to sleep earlier. Peeta seemed like a cool guy, so it was worth it.

"The lady said that she couldn't change it," Katniss lied. She was going to tell her the truth, but then Madge would look for an explanation for why she didn't want to change it. She was already tired of Madge nagging her about being in a relationship with Peeta, which was completely absurd for the record. Madge walked out of the bathroom in her bra and some shorts, causing Katniss to narrow her eyes.

"That sucks, man. They should give you some type of advantage for fucking up your schedule," Madge said, walking into the closet. She browsed around for a shirt until she came across a blue spaghetti strap. She put it on and walked back out into the room. She paused when she saw what Katniss had on.

"What are you getting dressed for?" Katniss wondered.

"I must have forgot to tell you..." Madge said, groaning. "Tonight is the Co-Ed annual Truth or Dare night. You've _got _to wear something better than that."

"Can't I just stay in tonight?" Katniss asked, noting how comfortable she felt. "I have school super early tomorrow, remember?"

"Aw, come on, Katniss! It won't be long, and it could be a great way for you to socialize and get to know people," Madge persuaded. Katniss shook her head. "Peeta's going to be there!" Katniss relaxed at his name and began to reconsider. It _could _be fun.

"Well... I mean, it couldn't hurt to get out of the dorm. I can make new friends," Katniss said, knowing her honest reason for wanting to attend. It still didn't mean that she liked Peeta in that way. Madge nodded quickly with a dominant smile on her face. She saw right through Katniss.

They spent about a half hour doing their hair and make-up, and Madge found an outfit out of Katniss' clothes that met her definition of stylish. She made a mental note to take Katniss shopping, though.

Katniss stood in some jet black skinny jeans and a red half shirt that showed off her creamy stomach. Her hair was in a braid, her choice. She didn't feel like spending an hour trying to wave it.

The two girls exited the room and took the elevator back up to the third floor. Madge silently wished that her dorm was located up there, because so many exclusive events took place there. She was lucky that she had a boyfriend whose dorm was up there.

Once again, the floor was filled with teens. This time, they weren't all going crazy and partying like there was no tomorrow. They were scattered around the floor, gathering together. Gale noticed the girls and signaled for them to come over to him. Katniss noticed that Peeta wasn't with Gale, and she frowned.

When they walked over and sat next to Gale, Madge collapsed on his lap. She immediately began attacking his lips, causing Katniss to feel slightly uncomfortable. Her eyes scanned the room until they finally settled on Peeta, who was seated across the room next to a guy that appeared to be incredibly taller than him. She smiled internally.

Peeta's eyes found Katniss and they appeared to brighten up. He gestured for his friend to follow him over to the three. As they walked over, Katniss took in his appearance. He looked just as handsome as he did hours earlier, which made Katniss wonder how horrible she had looked compared to him.

They sat down directly across from Gale, Madge and Katniss, causing the couple to break apart from each other. Madge grinned and wrapped her arms around Gale's neck.

"Hey Peeta, Hey Marvel," she said, returning her attention on Gale. Peeta rolled his eyes and looked at Katniss.

"Katniss, this is my buddy Marvel. He's the one that works with me over at the cafe. Marvel, this is Katniss," Peeta introduced. He was so good at that. Marvel smiled and stretched over, taking Katniss into an unexpected hug. She raised her eyes slightly, but returned the hug awkwardly.

"I'm a hugger," Marvel said once he pulled away. Peeta chuckled, as well as Marvel. Katniss assumed that it was some type of inside joke that they had with each other. Marvel was quite attractive, so Katniss didn't even mind.

"Alright, who's ready to get this party started?" a guy shouted, causing everyone to avert their attention to him. He was a tall blonde with piercing brown eyes. He looked intimidating by the way his hair spiked on his head, and his broad shoulders. He went by the name of Cato. Nonetheless, he was very handsome. Katniss was beginning to like college life more and more.

"Hell yeah!" numerous guys shouted, being rewarded with giggles by the girls. Everyone formed a circle, Peeta seated directly next to Katniss. The circle had to be tight, so everyone was pretty squeezed together. It didn't bother Peeta one bit to have his arm pressed beside Katniss'.

Katniss noticed that Clove, the girl that had snapped at her earlier that day, was holding onto Cato's arm as if they were together. No wonder he attracted her, they seemed like a perfect couple. They could intimidate the halls of the University together.

"Who's first?" Cato asked, watching everyone's faces. Clove looked around until she locked eyes with Katniss. _No, please, no. _

"How about we test out the _new _girl?" Clove decided, watching as everyone searched around the room. Clove rolled her eyes and pointed directly at Katniss, watching as all eyes fell upon her. Katniss heard her loud gulp echo around the room. Cato's mouth edged into a smirk and he cleared his throat.

"What's your name, babe?" he asked, his eyes focused on Katniss.

"Katniss," she said quietly. He noticed her shyness, and used it to his advantage.

"Katniss, how original," he teased. Katniss glared at him.

"Lay off," Peeta said, causing everyone to look at him. Cato laughed and made a comment about Peeta sticking up for his girlfriend or something, but Katniss zoned him out. She knew that she should have stayed home.

"I'm just teasing with you guys. Anyway, Katniss, truth or dare?" Cato asked after he had finished coming off as a complete jerk.

"Truth," Katniss said, almost instantly. Everyone began to snicker, including Madge. Katniss looked around confusedly until Cato had caught his breath.

"Katniss. Maybe we forgot to tell you the rules. In truth or dare, _dare_ is the only acceptable answer," Cato explained. Katniss narrowed her eyes.

"Then why don't you guys just name the game _dare_?" she asked, causing some muffled agreements. Cato shrugged.

"That's the whole point of the _game_," he said exasperatedly. "Now that you've chosen _dare, _let's give you something... mild." Katniss sighed of relief. "I dare you, and your little boyfriend over there, to run around the campus in nothing but your undergarments." The room busted out in series of laughs and applause as Katniss and Peeta's faces dropped. Katniss looked over at Peeta, but all he could do was shrug.

"You call that mild?" Katniss shrieked, feeling herself beginning to panic. "It's freezing out there, how do you expect us to survive without our toes falling off?"

"Once you start running, your body will heat up. Believe me, I know," Cato reassured as everyone stood to their feet. Not only was Katniss worried about running around outside, but she'd be exposed to everyone in the dorm, as well as Peeta. She absolutely hated this. As Katniss began to continue refusing, Madge pinched her arm.

"Just relax," Madge whispered in her ear. "It'll all be over soon. They're just trying to test you. Don't give them a reason not to like you."

Katniss considered Madge's warning and kept her mouth shut. Everyone took the stairs down to the front entrance, where they sneaked out. Katniss, Peeta, Cato and Clove walked in front as Cato guided them out into the freezing air. You could hear everyone's teeth chattering, but they didn't care. They were in for quite the show.

They stopped at the track as everyone huddled together on the bleachers. Clove hung onto Cato's arm as Cato instructed Katniss and Peeta out of their clothes. Cato dwarfed Clove, having a good 8 inches on her. She looked like a little kid hooked on a giants arm. It made her look a little less intimidating.

Katniss watched Peeta's face as they stripped, noticing how smug he looked. It was almost as if this whole thing with him being sucked into Katniss' dare didn't bother him. She mouthed an apology, but he just returned it with a smile.

Katniss stood in her black push-up bra and her matching panties, thanking God that she had chosen to match. Peeta stood in his light blue boxers, and Katniss noticed how fit his chest and shoulders were. Peeta also took in Katniss' gorgeous curves, silently thanking Cato for spontaneously coming up with this dare.

"Alright you two, take one lap around the track and your dare will be finished," Cato said, absentmindedly checking Katniss out. Clove noticed and dug her fingernails in Cato's arm. He flinched and glared down at her.

Katniss and Peeta walked over to the track and stood side by side on the line, shivering endlessly.

"I-I'm not t-that fast of a r-runner," Katniss said, her teeth chattering.

"S-sure you're not. You're a h-hunter. You've g-got to be faster than I am," Peeta said, not believing her for a second. Katniss cringed as Cato began his countdown.

"3...2...1...go!" He yelled, and Katniss and Peeta took off. Katniss jogged, watching as Peeta sped up in front of her. He looked behind him and smirked.

"Come on, Katniss! Work those muscles! You'll warm up if you do!" he encouraged. Katniss _was _cold, so she pushed her feet forward until she began to drift past Peeta. Peeta smirked at the view of her butt.

"Shit! Teacher!" someone shouted, causing everyone from the bleachers to jump to their feet. They all began scattering in different directions, completely forgetting about their friends out on the track.

**Author's Note: Cliffyyy! Haha, review's please? I love the alerts and stuff, but reviews motivate me to update faster. ^_^**


	4. Chapter 4

Their lap was almost completed, and by now, they were running at the same pace. Katniss still felt embarrassed at being so exposed to Peeta, but it helped that he was also showing a fair amount of skin.

Katniss glanced behind her and her eyes widened; there was no one in sight. That's when she saw the dark figure waving a flashlight around.

"Peeta!" Katniss said breathlessly, grabbing his arm to halt his running. He stared at her confusedly before turning his head toward the bleachers. He too widened his eyes at the realization.

"Hey, you two!" a man shouted, his voice ridiculously familiar.

"Shit," Peeta mumbled, slowly making his way off of the track. Katniss' heart began to race as they came into view of Haymitch. Out of _all _of the teachers that could have found them, it had to be the one who despised her. She knew they'd be in trouble for sure.

Haymitch stood in his heavy coat with a silver mug in his hand that he was eagerly trying to pass off as hot chocolate. Now that the two weren't running anymore, their half naked bodies were endlessly shivering. All Haymitch could do was chuckle as Katniss and Peeta stood before him.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here," Haymitch grumbled, looking over the two teens. Katniss instinctively covered her chest with her arms, receiving another laugh from Haymitch.

"Can we put our clothes back on, sir?" Katniss asked, her teeth chattering.

"Please do," Haymitch recommended, grimacing. Peeta and Katniss stooped down to retrieve their clothes, but were halted by Haymitch's foot slamming down on Peeta's shirt. "And once you do, report to the office."

…

Thankful for the warm air that consumed them, but fearful for their principal's wrath, Katniss and Peeta were experiencing some mixed emotions. They were waiting agitatedly for principal Snow to make his way to the building, so they were left staring at a very tired Mrs. Coin until their principal decided to make his presence.

"I just don't understand..." Mrs. Coin said, rubbing her tired eyes. Due to the crazy schedules, it was mandatory for all teachers to live on campus. There was a whole building for the faculty members to bunk in, so it wasn't completely irrational to see her standing in some silk pajama pants and a revealing top that was shielded by a thin jacket.

"We're really, really sorry," Peeta said, guilt dripping from his words. He was now beginning to dread being sucked into Katniss' dare, but in all honesty, he still felt that it was worth it.

Seconds later, principal Snow strolled into his office, peering darkly at the two teens as he took a seat behind his big desk. He excused Mrs. Coin, and she thankfully exited back to their dormitory. After a minute of silent, deathly stares, the principal spoke up.

"Who wants to tell me _exactly _why you two were running around the track, half naked, after school hours, in the freezing cold?" Principal Snow asked, dragging out the words as if they were purely disgusting. Katniss opened her mouth to confess, but Peeta beat her to it.

"We were exercising. I read somewhere online that if you ran a few miles in discreet clothing, you'd burn more calories than if you were wearing something like sweats. We decided to try it out when there would be no one around to see us," Peeta lied, staring at Snow with serene eyes. Katniss' mouth dropped, but she quickly picked her mouth back up before anything became obvious.

"I have a right mind to expel you two," he began, his voice gruff and serious. Katniss immediately began to breathe heavily as her stomach sank.

"No no, please, sir, you have-

"But I won't," he interrupted, giving her an annoyed expression. Great. It was only her second day on that campus and she already had numerous teachers who hated her guts.

"Thank you, sir. You don't know how much this means to us," Peeta thanked, relief passing over him.

"Don't thank me. Just... don't do it again," Snow warned, staring at them darkly. "So Peeta... discreet clothing instead of sweats?" Peeta chuckled lightly and nodded.

"Yup. They say it's better for your sweat glands or something," Peeta responded. Principal Snow was a bit heavy set, so it was actually pretty funny to see him asking Peeta about their fake method of exercising. If Katniss wasn't so consumed with fear, she would have busted out laughing.

"Right. Off you two go... and _not _in the same dorm room," he said quickly. This made Katniss slightly uncomfortable.

"Of course not, sir. Thanks again," Peeta said, standing from the chair. Katniss stood as well, thanking the principal as well. He just shot her an irritated glare and turned his attention toward some paperwork that sat on his desk.

Katniss and Peeta exited the office, out of the double doors, and back into the frosty air. Katniss wouldn't be surprised if she woke up that morning and there was snow covering the campus.

"I'm so sorry," Katniss said as they began to make their way toward the co-ed dorm. Peeta just shrugged and stuffed his frozen hands into his pockets.

"It wasn't your fault. Plus, it was kind of fun anyway. Tell me it won't be hilarious seeing principal Snow running around in a speedo," Peeta laughed, receiving a grin from Katniss.

"Yeah, that is pretty funny," Katniss agreed. "Although, I probably won't be joining you guys for another game of _Truth or Dare_ anytime soon."

"Understandable," Peeta said, nodding in understanding.

"Why did you lie about why we were out there?" Katniss wondered as they strolled into their dormitory.

"First rule of Truth or Dare. No one knows about it. If you get caught doing one of your dares by a _higher power_, it's completely your responsibility to get out of it," Peeta said, as if it was meant to be automatically known. Katniss scoffed as they hopped on the elevator.

"_Another _thing I was completely oblivious to. Man, you guys should just write a rule book on this game," Katniss said, clearly annoyed. Peeta stared over at her and couldn't help but laugh. He thought it was kind of cute, actually. She looked over at his laughing face and narrowed her eyes.

"Shut up," she said quietly, trying her hardest to hide the grin that was on her face. He laughed again, and this time she joined in. As the elevator doors opened for the second floor, Katniss began to step out. She stopped when Peeta grabbed her arm softly, turning her back to face him.

"So, that was a pretty close one tonight, huh?" he asked nervously. Katniss nodded slowly and studied his face.

"Sure was," she said softly. For some reason, she felt her heartbeat take an irregular turn.

"Well, we made it out barely scratched. I say that calls for celebration," he said a bit more confidently. Katniss was unsure to what he meant, but she put two and two together.

"Celebration... hm. Why not?" she agreed, a small smile playing at her lips.

"I'll meet you at your room tomorrow at 9:30? Wear something formal," he said, pressing the buttons on the elevator. That gave Katniss a millisecond to respond.

"S-sure," she stuttered, her cheeks turning the shade of scarlet. She noticed the excited grin on his face as the doors of the elevators closed.

She soon realized that it had been a few minutes as she stood in the hallway in a daze. Had she just been asked out on a date? No. It _couldn't_ be a date. She barely knew Peeta, but, what did that have to do with anything? He was very attractive, funny, sweet, almost dreamlike. So if it was a date, she surely didn't mind. But... _was _it a date?

She slowly and confusedly trudged into her dorm room, noticing Madge sitting on her bed with a blank look on her face. She instantly rose to her feet as she saw Katniss coming into the room. She flew over to her roommate and wrapped her arms around her neck, receiving a few pats on the back from Katniss. As Madge pulled away, Katniss noticed the worry lines plastered on Madge's forehead.

"Oh my god, are you okay? I didn't want to leave you, but Gale was pulling me in a million different directions. Everyone fled, and I ran to the room as soon as possible. What's going on? Did you get caught? Are you in trouble? What happened to-

"I'm fine, Madge!" Katniss interrupted with a look of horror. It made her happy to see her roommate so worried about her, though. Madge took a much needed breath and smiled back.

"Okay, good. I still feel awful. Where's Peeta?" Madge asked.

"I'm sure he's in his room by now," Katniss answered, plopping down on her bed. She looked over at the clock and groaned at the time; 12 am. She knew she had to hurry up and shower if she wanted to get up at a reasonable time so that she could look presentable. She trudged into the bathroom and immediately began to run her shower water.

"So, Peeta wasn't pissed about having to do your dare with you?" Madge asked, grabbing for her phone so that she could text Gale. Katniss swiftly walked out of the bathroom and grabbed some sleeping wear and a towel.

"No! He invited me to celebrate 'not getting into trouble' with him tomorrow night," Katniss said, mentally cursing herself. The words just came out so quickly; she didn't think about the consequence of telling Madge. Her stomach dropped when Madge's eyes lit up.

"Like a date?" Madge asked excitedly.

"No! I mean yes! I mean... I don't know," Katniss said honestly, staring at Madge in the doorway. Madge smiled widely, and all Katniss could do was frown. She didn't want Madge to make a big deal out of nothing, unless it was actually something.

"Okay, tell me what his exact words were," Madge said, sitting up straight on the bed and crossing her tanned legs.

"He was like _that was pretty close, this calls for celebration. _So I was like _yeah, sure. _Then he was like _wear something formal,_" Katniss responded. She grimaced when she heard Madge squeal like a two year old.

"He totally asked you out, Kat! I _have _to help you get ready tomorrow. I have the perfect dress that you could wear. Do you have any idea where he's taking you?" Madge asked. Katniss had never seen her this enthusiastic before.

"No clue," Katniss admitted.

"Do you have any classes with him? I remember him saying that he had morning classes awhile ago," Madge said.

"Yeah, I have art with him," Katniss responded, watching as the steam from the shower began to fill around the tiny bathroom.

"Oh! Okay, try to get some hints out of him tomorrow. Text me during your lunch break once you find out," Madge told her, her face glowing with genuine happiness for Katniss.

"You seem more excited than I am," Katniss remarked, laughing lightly. Truthfully, Katniss hadn't even had the chance to process that she very well could be going on a date with Peeta tomorrow, let alone let herself get excited. She knew those happy butterflies would show once she knew for sure.

"Oh, shut up. Go take a shower so you can go to bed," Madge said, laying back in her bed. Katniss thanked her internally and excused herself, jumping into the shower. She couldn't help but feel herself anxiously anticipating tomorrow.

…

Katniss woke up early the next day, the three hours of sleep draining her. She trudged into the bathroom and plugged up the curling iron, looking at herself in the mirror. Her new bedtime was 9 o'clock; she was already tired of looking like a walking zombie.

She brushed her teeth and washed her face, watching as the curling iron heated up. She gave herself a quick wash-up and put on the stylish outfit that she had picked out before bed; a Hollister long sleeve, and some dark blue skinny jeans. She noticed how tired her eyes looked, and dabbed on some concealer and some eyeliner. She began to redo the waves in her hair, and by the time she had finished, she had 10 minutes to get to class on time.

"Fuck this," Katniss muttered, grabbing her bag from her bed. She looked over at Madge and noticed that she was fast asleep. She quickly exited the room and ran into the elevator. She refused to be late to Haymitch's class today.

Once she was out of the building, she began to sprint to the main building.

"Running with your clothes on this time?" a passing classmate muttered, receiving laughs from his group of friends. Katniss ignored him, checking the time on her phone. Three minutes. She quickly entered the building, stopping to catch her breath. She felt a light sweat covering her face, and she grimaced. She reached in her bag and pulled out a napkin and some body spray. She dabbed her face and then sprayed herself with the delicious smelling fragrance.

She then power walked the rest of the way until she stood in the doorway of Haymitch's classroom. The bell rang right after. She saw the delighted look on Haymitch's face as everyone else hurriedly shuffled into the room. Peeta was already seated at his seat, as Katniss expected.

"Looks like you're on time today, Ms. Everdeen," Haymitch taunted. Katniss smiled weakly and hurried to her seat beside Peeta. He gave her a small smile before taking out his portfolio.

"Alright class, today you're going to put your talent to the test. Do we have some painters out there?" Haymitch asked excitedly. The class expressed their enthusiasm as a huge grin spread across Peeta's face. Katniss slumped in her seat; she couldn't paint to save her life.

Haymitch passed out large sheets of white paper, and instructed for everyone to pick up their own individual canvasses. When Katniss stood to get hers, Peeta halted her.

"It's okay, I'll get one for you," he said quickly, walking over to where the canvasses sat. She took her seat again and smiled lightly. She locked eyes with his portfolio, and couldn't help the curiosity that consumed her. She swiftly opened it, revealing beautiful drawings much like the one that he made of the Mockingjay.

They were so unique, so unlike the other drawings that Katniss had seen in her life. She didn't even realize that she was grinning until Haymitch stood in front of her desk.

"Wipe that grin off of your face, sweetheart. Time to get to work," he muttered, giving her the lazy eye. She quickly closed Peeta's portfolio and looked over at him. He was still grabbing the canvasses. Katniss looked up at Haymitch and gulped. It was still awkward being around him after last night.

"Just waiting on my canvass, sir," Katniss said, clearly annoyed with his presence. He noticed her snappiness and raised his hands in surrender. He scurried off to the other desks, leaving her a little more relaxed.

Soon enough, Peeta brought the canvasses to their desks. Katniss stood up to set her paper on the canvass, and grab a paint brush that sat in the bucket connected to the canvass. There were also an assortment of paint in the bucket. They all wrapped the protective aprons around them and went to work.

"What are you going to paint?" Peeta asked over his shoulder as him and Katniss stood back to back, facing their paper. Katniss tugged at her bottom lip and dipped her brush into the brown paint.

"Uh... a tree?" she said, making a line across her paper. Peeta chuckled.

"Keeping it simple, huh?" Peeta asked, already thoroughly started on his painting of a sunset.

"No, not really. I'm just painting what I know. I know the wilderness," Katniss responded, trying her hardest to add detail to the trunk. Peeta nodded, and they were silent after that.

After about a half hour, Katniss peeked over her shoulder. She noticed the beautiful horizon that electrified from the paper; the dark orange melting into the bright yellow, surrounded by the purple sky. The dark blue water glistening with sparkles... who would've thought that you could make something so plain appear to be so extraordinary.

"Wow," she whispered, breaking his attention away from his painting. He turned to face her and smiled.

"You like it?" he asked, studying his painting once more.

"Like it? Peeta, I love it," Katniss admitted. He smirked and took a glance at her painting. It was a basic tree with branches that were unevenly extended. The grass was just a plain straight line, and the sun looked disfigured. Katniss noticed the look on his face and laughed embarrassingly.

"It's okay, you can say it," she said, snapping him out of his thoughts. He instantly felt bad.

"Oh, no no, it's fine!" he lied, looking back over at her painting. He tore his eyes away from the painting and began to focus on his once again. Katniss itched her head and walked around so that she could see Peeta's face. He looked over at her as he pressed his brush against the paper in slow strides.

"About tonight," Katniss began. "I can't wait. Any hint at where we're going...?"

"Nope! It's a surprise. Just wear something formal," he said, a dominant grin on his face. She huffed and folded her arms.

"That means a dress, right?" she asked. He nodded slowly.

"Yes," he said, chuckling lightly. Katniss laughed at herself and chewed on her bottom lip. This guy was a tough cookie to crack.

"Fine. Just as long as you don't take me to some cheesy-

"Getting your work done over here?" Haymitch asked, interrupting Katniss. She was silently thankful for this.

"Sure," Peeta responded, trying his hardest to focus on finishing his painting. Haymitch nodded at Peeta's painting, and frowned when he saw Katniss'. She rolled her eyes and prepared herself for criticism.

"Well this looks..."

"I know, I know. It looks like a first grader did it, next please?" she responded. He laughed and took a swig from his cup before returning his eyes on her painting.

"I wasn't going to say that. Who am _I _to criticize an artists work? But if that's how _you _feel, well, I'm just assuming that you should do something about that," Haymitch grumbled, giving her a smirk and a wink before walking off. Katniss considered his words as the bell sounded off. Peeta grabbed his canvass and set it off in the corner, allowing his almost completed painting to dry. Katniss didn't even bother trying to save her awful painting, so she just grabbed the paper from the canvass and crumbled it up. Peeta widened his eyes at her.

"Why did you do that? That's for a grade," Peeta said. Katniss looked down at the wet, crumpled, ruined painting and groaned.

"Now I have to redo it," she groaned, throwing the ball of mess in the nearest trashcan.

"I could help you. I _would_ say that we could do it tonight, but I'm kind of busy," he said, giving her a shy grin. He was so adorable.

"Well, I wouldn't want to get in the way of your plans," Katniss laughed. "Thanks, Peeta."

"No problem," he said, strolling out of the room. He turned to give her a soft look before disappearing into the halls. She couldn't help the blush creeping up her neck.

…

Katniss sat in the chair by the vanity as Madge continued to draw all over her face. Katniss groaned as her stomach began to rumble; she hadn't eaten all day.

"Are you almost done painting me like a circus clown?" Katniss asked after a minute.

"Will you stop complaining?" Madge asked, giggling lightly. She continued for another five minutes before pulling away. "Walla!"

Katniss rolled her eyes and turned toward the mirror, gasping lightly. She looked... beautiful. No, she looked _gorgeous. _

"Wow... thanks, Madge," Katniss said, touching her face lightly. Instead of making the make-up obvious, Madge blended it into her features to add emphasis on her beautiful eyes, full lips, and more. She made her look naturally flawless.

"Don't mention it," Madge said, grinning confidently. She knew she was great at things like this. "Now for your hair!" Madge brought out the straightener, and Katniss hesitated.

"I've never straightened my hair before," Katniss admitted. Madge narrowed her eyes as she plugged it in.

"_Never_?" Madge asked. Katniss shook her head and shrugged.

"I like my waves," she said quietly. Madge smiled and waited for the straightener to heat up.

"You're going to look great with straight hair, don't worry," Madge reassured. She ran into the closet and pulled out the dress that she mentioned last night. It was a stunning red dress, strapless, and ended mid-thigh. It had a bustier, so it would make Katniss look pretty busty. It would definitely compliment her curves.

"Peeta will love you in this," Madge said. Katniss smiled lightly and pulled a strand of hair behind her ear.  
"I appreciate you letting me borrow your clothes like this," Katniss thanked. Madge nodded and lay the dress across Katniss' bed.

"It's cool! I borrowed one of your tops for class today," Madge remarked nonchalantly. Katniss examined her further and noticed that she _was _wearing one of Katniss' shirts. She just smiled in response.

"Wait, aren't you supposed to be in class right now?" Katniss asked, checking the time. Madge shrugged.

"I skipped the rest of the day. This is important," she said, even though she truly skipped just for the hell of it. She really had to stop doing that. Katniss rolled her eyes and noticed the green light on the straightener.

"It's ready!" Katniss said. Madge ran over and grabbed it, going to work on Katniss' thick, pretty hair. By the time she was finished straightening it to perfection, Katniss looked like an entirely new person. Madge was right; she did look great.

Katniss then changed into the dress, and oiled down her legs to give them that shine. She looked absolutely radiant. Her and Madge stood in the mirror, admiring Katniss.

"You're so pretty," Madge said, smiling widely.

"Thank you," Katniss responded, tugging at her bottom lip. She was excited to see what Peeta would think. Seconds later, they heard a knock from the door.

"It's him," Madge whispered, motioning for Katniss to go sit down casually. Katniss sat on her bed and began to tap around on her phone. Madge opened the door and gave Peeta a brief hug.  
"Lookin sexy!" she told him, receiving a chuckle from him. He had on a white, long-sleeved linen shirt with a black tuxedo vest over it, and some matching black tuxedo pants. He had on a dark gray tie, and his blonde hair was pushed up with gel.

"Where's Katniss?" Peeta asked. Madge stepped aside and Peeta stepped in, his eyes resting on Katniss. They lit up instantly as he looked her over. She stood up, exposing her gorgeous attire to him.

"You look amazing," he breathed, a look of awe on his face. She smiled shyly, and he greatly returned it.

"Thanks. So do you," she responded. His smile spread wider. They stared between each other for a while, and Madge was enjoying every bit of it.

"Okay you two, have fun on your _date_!" she screamed, pushing them out of the room. She closed the door, leaving them to stare at each other awkwardly. _Why _did she have to say date?

**Author's Note: Alright haha, what did you guys think? PLEASE leave reviews, because they're the only things that tempt me to update sooner! ._. Also, check out my new one-shot "Safe and Sound" and show it some love? Thanks guys! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hi! Here's chapter 5! I'm loving the response to this story, and thank you to the people who have been reviewing every chapter! I hope you guys continue to like where this story heads. (: Alright, happy reading!**

Peeta cleared his throat and stretched out his arm, beckoning Katniss to walk ahead of him. "After you," he said in a cheesy tone. Katniss began walking, bringing her hands up to her arms.

"She didn't even give me a chance to grab a jacket," Katniss muttered.

"No worries," Peeta reassured, making a u-turn toward Madge and Katniss' door. He tapped on it lightly, waiting anxiously for Madge to open the door. He just wanted to get this date, or whatever it was, started on a good note. Not even a second later, the door swung open. Peeta opened his mouth to speak, but paused when he saw the black jacket dangling from her fingers.

"Don't want to forget this. I heard it's going to be below zero tonight," Madge said, smirking mischievously. She was having too much fun with this. He returned the smirk and grabbed the jacket from her, giving her a quiet thank you.

She closed the door and he hurried over to where Katniss stood in the middle of the hallway. She was staring at him curiously as he stopped in front of her.

"Turn around," he told her. She reluctantly spun around, feeling his eyes on her. He slowly placed the jacket around her shoulders, making sure that it draped around her shoulders to keep her warm. She sucked in a breath and turned back to face him.

"I thought they only did that in the movies," she laughed, pulling her arms through the jacket.

"Well, the movies have to get it from somewhere," he said, winking at her. She shook her head playfully as they began walking in synch.

"_Where _are you taking me?" Katniss asked as they reached the elevator.

"I shall not say," he said, invisibly zipping his lips. Katniss rolled her eyes and folded her arms, scowling.

"What if I try to guess?" she asked, looking for a compromise. He pondered the thought and allowed his eyes to linger down her body, resting back on her face. She noticed, her pulse picking up on speed.

"Sure, but you'll never guess," Peeta said confidently. He chuckled at her facial expression and she smiled at him sarcastically.

"If I guess it right, you tell me. Deal?" she asked, pressing the button for the first floor.

"Deal," he agreed. She absentmindedly chewed on her bottom lip, and it was beginning to drive Peeta crazy- in the best way possible.

"Dinner?" she asked. He shook his head. _Shit. _She _was _pretty hungry, now that she thought about it. "A movie?" she questioned again. He laughed lightly and shook his head again. She was already growing frustrated. "A play? A banquet? A beauty pageant?" she asked, saying the first words to come to mind. She noticed how stupid she had sounded once the words escaped her lips, causing her to laugh internally at herself. His face turned red from laughter as the elevator doors opened.

"None of those places," he said, guiding her out into the dormitory lobby. She rolled her eyes and accepted defeat. They thankfully didn't have a curfew, since it was Friday night. Peeta opened the double doors and they strolled out into the frostbiting air. Katniss' legs instantly began to tremble.

"I called us a cab, so it should be waiting out in front of the main building," Peeta said, his teeth chattering. Katniss looked over at him and smirked at how vulnerable he looked in the cold. It was kind of cute to her. They picked up their pace as a yellow taxi came into view. The sky was dark, but the tall lampposts that were scattered around the campus brightened up the place. Katniss could see the small amount of Christmas decorations that were already beginning to show up, and she couldn't help but feeling elated at the fact. The decorations were always one of her favorite parts of Christmas.

"I can't wait until this place is booming with lights and decorations," Peeta said, almost as if he had been reading Katniss' mind.  
"I was just thinking the same thing," she agreed as they strolled up to the car. Peeta opened the door and stepped off to the side, motioning for Katniss to get in. She gave him a small smile and slid into the vehicle, thankful for the warmth of the taxi that wrapped around her. He gradually climbed in after her and adjusted comfortably on the seat.

"Where to?" the taxi driver asked, an Italian accent flowing beautifully in his voice. Peeta smirked at Katniss before inching his mouth up to the strangers ear and whispering quiet enough so that Katniss couldn't hear.

"Unbelievable," she whispered, slumping down in her seat. Katniss didn't like surprises, and she hadn't the slightest idea of where Peeta was taking her. What if he took her somewhere high strung and exquisite, and she ended up embarrassing them both with her awkwardness? She was just hoping that she'd be able to control herself.

Peeta sat back in his seat as the car began to move. Katniss' eyes lingered to the pay-meter in the taxi, and she breathed deeply.

"I can... I can help pay for half of that," Katniss said, motioning toward the meter. Peeta's eyes flickered to it and he shook his head almost immediately.

"It's okay, I'll pay," he reassured, giving her a smile. Katniss looked down warily and cleared her throat. She allowed her mind to wander to the cafe, and how he paid for her to eat as well. She didn't want Peeta to see her as a girl who couldn't support herself, let alone see her as someone who couldn't pay half of the bill for something that she wasn't even sure was a date.

"Really, I can help pay. I heard taxi's are pretty expensive," Katniss said, swallowing the lump that was growing in her throat. Peeta shrugged as the same smile lingered on his lips.

"I have a job, Katniss. It's really okay. Don't worry about it," he told her, finalizing the conversation. She was tempted to argue the matter, but she didn't want the date, or whatever the hell it was, to turn sour. They rode in silence for what felt like an eternity, until the taxi driver turned on a busy street. There were bright, red and green lights plastered across the buildings as they drove down a road with antique shops and stores. Katniss stared in awe at the flawless decorations, her eyes resting on a huge building more colorful than anything she'd ever imagined. She searched for a name until she found a brick stone on the side of the building that read _Panem Art Museum. _

"Art museum?" Katniss asked, turning to look at Peeta. He nodded enthusiastically as the taxi stopped in front of the building.

"Be back in about two hours?" Peeta told the man, receiving a nod from the middle aged driver. Peeta slid out the car, leaving the door open for Katniss. She hurried out of the car, the torturous air clawing at her exposed legs. She gripped Peeta's arm and drug him inside, anxious to get out of the freezing cold. She couldn't help the smile that formed on her face as she looked around the wide opened space. There was a humungous chandelier that hung down from the never ending ceiling, illuminating multicolored light around the lobby.

Unique art hung around the walls, a few by-passers stopping to comment and converse about the paintings. Statues crowded the center of the room, fascinating Katniss at how much detail and time was spent making those things come alive. She felt hot air tickling her ear, and it took her a second to register that Peeta's lips were hovered dangerously close to the side of her face.

"I told you that you'd never guess where I was taking you," he whispered, giving her a cocky grin. She turned to face him and nodded approvingly.

"I've never been to an art museum before. So far, this place looks great. I'm just warning you, though... I know nothing about art," she laughed, receiving a chuckle from him.

"Well, maybe you'll learn something new today," he offered, guiding her down a hallway, away from the main lobby. She looked behind her shoulder and frowned.

"I was about to look at one of those statues," Katniss said, turning her head toward Peeta.

"I think you'll be more interested in these," Peeta said, stopping at two double doors. He glanced at her before he opened the doors, revealing a numerous amount of people. There was a table planted in the center of the room with a plethora of desserts and appetizers, and all of the unique faces were mingling and taking long looks at the broad paintings that covered the walls. Katniss gasped lightly in amazement; the paintings in the room were even better than the ones in the lobby.

A tall, lanky man sauntered over to the two with a huge grin on his face. He reached out and took Peeta's hand, a piece of paper in his hands.

"Here's the guest of honor!" He shouted loudly, everyone averting their attention to the two. For a second, she was confused at the sudden attention. She looked over at Peeta and noticed the blush on his face. Her eyes lingered to the nearest painting, and in the corner, it read _P. Mellark. _They began clapping, and Katniss slowly began to realize that this was a party for _him. _

"Who's this beautiful sweetheart?" the man asked, looking over at Katniss. She felt her cheeks blazing uncontrollably as she stood impossibly close to Peeta. He smiled wide as he looked over at her.

"This is Katniss. She'll be joining in on the fun tonight," Peeta said, giving her a slight nudge. Katniss waved at the man, too nervous to say a word. He made small talk with Peeta for a few minutes before walking off to busy himself with others.

"Wow, Peeta...these are _your _paintings?" Katniss asked in awe as they strolled along the wall. Peeta nodded in appreciation and stuffed his hands into his pockets. The paintings were so beautifully detailed, so crafted to perfection, she honestly felt like she was in the presence of an artistic genius. One particular painting caught her eye, and she grabbed his arm to halt them from walking. She walked closer to the painting and went wide eyed at the display.

It was a picture of a lake under the moonlight. The moon was as bright as a ball of light, sending rays of crystal down into the clear water. If Katniss didn't know any better, she would have tried to step into the realistic looking painting. Peeta studied Katniss' face with a look of content.

"So, you like this one?" Peeta asked after a minute of comfortable silence. Katniss snapped her head toward Peeta and grinned in response.

"I love it. It's so... it's so _beautiful. _Peeta, you're really good. No, you're brilliant," Katniss said, clearly out of breath. She didn't know what to say to describe how much she admired his artistic ability. It surprised her, because before she had met him, she never thought twice about art.

"Thank you," he said modestly, staring up at the painting on the wall. Katniss tugged on his arm, bringing him around to browse at his other paintings. There were many more that caught her eye, much like the last one. She was eager to visit every single painting in that room.

They laughed and talked with each other along the way, and Katniss could even since a little flirting coming from Peeta. She didn't mind it at all, though. The conversation took an unexpected turn as they walked over to grab some snacks from the refreshment table.

"Cooking and baking was never a true passion for me. I've always been into Art. Painting, sketching, all of it... it relaxes me. There's no pressure, it's just me, and my mind. Mom always said I'd never make a living off of an artists salary, and dad agreed. So now I'm here... forced to major in Culinary, when I'd much rather be at the school of the Arts. That's why I took Art as an elective, so that I could still have a sense of freedom at that school," Peeta confessed, staring Katniss in her eyes. He never told _anyone _that before, but for some reason, he felt like he could trust her. Katniss frowned, watching as a sad expression crossed his face. She reached down and took hold of his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"You have to do what _you _love. Do you think that my mom was ever enthusiastic about her daughter going out into the woods to hunt? She hated it... I think she still does. But, I had to learn to ignore the opinions of others and do the thing that makes me happy," Katniss explained, her hand still laying in his incredibly warm one. He gave her a half smile and allowed her words to sink in.

"You're right," he whispered, looking around at his many paintings that covered the wall. "You are _so _right." he stared down at her, watching as her breath began to hitch. He was making her nervous, but for some reason, Peeta sensed that it wasn't in a bad way. As their ongoing stare began to grow intense, a girl crept up behind them. They both jumped when her hollow voice echoed in their ears.

"Sorry to scare you," she laughed, noticing the tension. "I'm Foxie. I go to the same school as you, Peeta, and I just wanted you to know that I absolutely _love _your paintings. I've actually admired them for a while now. I'm really proud of you for making it this far," the redheaded girl said, holding her hand out to Peeta. Peeta reluctantly released his hand from Katniss', and grabbed hold of Foxie's. She had a look in her eye that could only mean one thing; hopeless love. She had a _huge _crush on Peeta, which set Katniss on edge a bit. She didn't know why, though. It wasn't like her and Peeta had anything going on.

"Thanks _so _much. That means a lot," he said, a huge smile on his face. Katniss loved the way his entire face lit up when he smiled; it showed the soft side of him that not too many guys had nowadays.

"_When_ are you ever going to have these to sell?" she asked as he pulled his hand away from hers. He shrugged and looked around hesitantly.

"Not anytime soon. I'll think on it, though," he told her. She nodded enthusiastically and pulled a strand of her hair behind her ear. It was up in two buns on either side of her head, with a few bangs hanging down in the front. Seconds later, the tall man from earlier came wandering over to the three college students.

"Do you ladies mind if I steal him away for a second?" he asked playfully. Katniss and Foxie shook their heads, and the man pulled Peeta off toward the growing crowd over by the refreshment table. This left Katniss and Foxie to awkwardly stare at each other.

"S-so... are you and him dating?" Foxie asked after a minute. Katniss almost choked on air at the statement.

"No," she said almost immediately, hoping to hide the intense blush that was grazing her features. Foxie looked relieved as she stared after Peeta. "You like him," Katniss said quietly. Foxie averted her eyes back to Katniss and smiled embarrassingly.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked. Katniss forced a smile and nodded. Foxie laughed to herself and focused her eyes back on Peeta. "He's just so sweet. He's so talented and modest, and I can't help but admire him. It took everything in me to _finally _speak to him today."

"I don't think we've ever seen each other around school," Katniss said, hoping to slightly change the subject.

"No one ever really notices me. Peeta didn't even notice me until tonight," Foxie said sadly. For some reason, the jealously and instant dislike that Katniss felt for the girl only seconds earlier had began to fade. She could understand being the girl that nobody really paid attention to.

"Well, if you need a friend, I'm here. I've only been at that school for a few days, so it's kind of difficult trying to adjust. I have a really cool roommate, though. Madge. She's-

"_Madge Undersee _is your roommate?" Foxie asked, her eyes wide with shock. Katniss nodded slowly, watching Jackie with suspicious eyes. "She's like... unapproachable. I'd love to be friends with her. We're in the same cosmetics club, and she's always surrounded by all of the _popular _girls. You're so lucky," Foxie explained. Katniss could feel that Foxie had a little girl crush on Madge, but she preferred that crush over her crush on Peeta.

"I can introduce you guys?" Katniss offered. Foxie's eyes lit up.  
"Would you?" she asked excitedly. Katniss smiled and nodded.  
"Why not?" she agreed. Foxie tugged at her lip happily and then looked back over at Peeta. He was accepting a toast for his artwork, and Katniss was slightly disappointed that she was missing it.

"Once you're done, then maybe you could introduce me to your friend Peeta? I _swear _I thought you two were an item when you were holding his hand," Foxie said, laughing timidly. Katniss' smile faded as that sudden jealously came back. _No, I will not be introducing you to Peeta,_ Katniss thought. She was thankful when Peeta came back to join them.

"I'm back," he said wholeheartedly. Foxie stared at him with undeniable lust and he seemed to notice. Katniss cleared her throat and silently prayed that Foxie would disappear.  
"I was just getting to know your friend Katniss," Foxie said, smiling over at Katniss. Katniss forced another one back her way, taking a second to glance at Peeta.

"Well, isn't that nice," Peeta said genuinely. After seconds of silence, Foxie's phone began to ring. She reached in her bag and pulled it out, groaning.

"Hello?" she asked into the phone. Her face flickered in disappointment as she closed her phone. "My mom is outside. It was nice being here, though. These paintings are great."

"You don't live on campus?" Katniss asked, a little too much hope to her tone. Foxie shook her head, and Katniss eagerly tried to hide the smile that was beginning to creep on her face. They said their goodbyes to Foxie as she left the museum.

"She seems...nice," Katniss said hesitantly. Peeta nodded in agreement, but the last thing that he wanted to be talking about was Foxie. Something that had been bothering Katniss all night was beginning to itch at her, and Foxie's words only brought it out more. She knew had to ask Peeta if they were truly on a date, and soon.  
"So, would you like anything to drink?" Peeta asked. Katniss slowly shook her head and prepared herself for what she was about to ask. She couldn't seem to meet his eyes, so she looked down at his tie.

"Remember when Madge told us to have fun on our...date?" Katniss asked slowly, catching Peeta's full attention.

"Yeah..." he responded quietly.

"Would you call this a...date?" Katniss responded, swallowing thickly. She cringed at how bad the words came out. _Oh no, _Peeta thought. _She never intended for this to be a date. I'm such an idiot! _

"Uh... no, I guess not. I just wanted you to see my paintings. We both had Art together, so I figured that you might be interested in stuff like this," he lied, watching as disappointment shown in Katniss' eyes. He didn't know how to respond.

"Oh," she responded, resting her eyes on the painting of a flower behind his head. "I think I'd like that drink now," she said tiredly. He nodded quickly and escaped to the refreshment table, leaving her to process her feelings. She cursed herself for allowing her hopes to get up, and vowed to never let it happen again.

**Author's Note: Hi! I think I'm going to have the next chapter up _really _soon, so in the meantime, please leave me a review to let me know what you thought! What do you think of Foxie? ;P **

**Oh, and follow my twitter accounts: _GoldMockingjay and AshleyMocha12. I'll follow back!**


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